


Only Rough Around The Edges

by Not_You



Series: one only understands the things that one tames [7]
Category: The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Bathing/Washing, Clint Barton Feels, Clint tries, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Kneeling, M/M, Public Display of Affection, Sleeping Together, Workplace, Workplace Relationship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-01-14
Updated: 2014-01-14
Packaged: 2018-01-08 17:42:47
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,139
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1135556
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Not_You/pseuds/Not_You
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>In which Phil realizes how far they've come, and Clint uses his words like an adult.  Sitwell is impressed.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Only Rough Around The Edges

Phil would be glad enough of his better rapport with Clint for its own sake, but he is even more grateful in the wake of Clint’s next mission. There’s the same kind of command quibble as on the one that landed Clint in his care, and Clint is _seething_. A major human trafficker is still in the world because Clint was ordered to stand down. There were a few reasons, but Phil has to agree that even altogether they aren’t particularly compelling. Maybe for a less gifted operative, but not for Clint. Still, being right is no justification for office-destroying tantrums, and Phil is glad to find his sub keeping it together, if just barely. He’s sitting on the bench outside of Phil’s office, waiting to be collected. His shoulders are hunched and his head is down. He radiates sullen rage, and Phil sighs. He goes and rests a hand on Clint’s head, feeling his hair stiff with sweat.

“Ready to go home?”

“I fuckin’ guess,” Clint growls, and gets to his feet, following Phil out. Phil doesn’t say anything until they’re in the car and on their way home.

“I’m proud of you, Clint.”

“…What?”

“I’m proud of you for keeping your temper. I know it’s hard.”

“Well, I did call Wyatt a chickenshit motherfucker.”

“Regrettably crude, perhaps, but not inaccurate. I’d have had you take the shot.”

“…Thank you, sir,” Clint whispers, relaxing a little into the seat.

“You’re always welcome to an honest assessment.”

Clint smiles and then yawns, passing the rest of the drive in comfortable silence. Phil mostly watches the road, but glances over at every red light, pleased to see Clint so calm. He’s sloppily curled up in the bucket seat like a tired puppy, and doesn’t even open his eyes when Phil parks the car in the garage. Clint yawns as Phil turns off the engine, and doesn’t move otherwise until Phil prods him in the side, where he’s only a little ticklish.

“Don’ wanna,” Clint mutters, and Phil chuckles.

“Come on, sweetheart. I could carry you, but it would probably hurt my back.”

“Mm. Well. Can’t have that,” Clint says, yawning again, and climbs out of the car, wobbling a little with fatigue and adrenaline hangover. Phil steadies him and Clint leans into it, nuzzling Phil’s shoulder. “Thanks, boss.”

Phil smiles. “Of course.” He leads Clint into the house and on to the upstairs bathroom where he helps Clint out of his clothes, over soft protestations that Clint can do it himself. “Maybe I like undressing you,” Phil coos, kissing Clint’s cheek and making him blush bright pink. The blush only deepens when Phil starts running a bath and rolls up his sleeves.

“Are you gonna...?”

“Bathe you? Yes, unless you don’t want me to.”

“N-nah, that’d actually be… that’d be nice,” Clint says softly, staring at the floor.

“Yes,” Phil says, “it will be.” He checks the temperature and gestures for Clint to get in. The water is hot enough to help with tense muscles, and Clint eases down slowly, hissing under his breath. Phil smiles and lets him soak for a moment before getting to work. There’s grit smeared on Clint’s arms and ash on his face and dried sweat all over him, and Phil carefully washes it off, humming softly. He likes doing this for a sub, and he’s glad to be have Clint calm and trusting under his hands. The night Clint wrecked the bike he couldn’t fully enjoy this task, but now it’s perfect, Clint flushed and drowsy and just letting Phil move him as he needs to get every part of Clint clean. When Phil is done, he helps Clint out and wraps him in a towel.

Clint grumbles and groans at being made to sit down and eat a meal, but he cleans his plate before he starts nodding in his chair. Phil smiles, and ushers Clint up to bed. Clint makes a low, unhappy sound when Phil leaves the room, and smiles when he comes back with paperwork.

“Gonna be productive, boss?”

“Yes. You sleep, you’ve earned it,” Phil says, and settles in next to Clint.

“’Kay,” Clint mumbles, and buries his face in Phil’s hip and purrs quietly as Phil strokes his hair. Phil works for another hour, and then watches Clint sleep for half that. He’s so beautiful like this that it makes Phil’s heart ache.

Clint has to go back to SHIELD the next day for a full debriefing, but he’s calm on the drive over. He actually gives Phil a peck on the cheek when they part ways at the door of Phil’s office, the most affectionate he has ever been in public. Phil smiles and returns the caress, telling Clint that he’s sure his report will clarify things.

A knock on the door an hour later makes Phil look up, expecting Clint. “Yes?”

“Got a minute, Coulson?” It’s Sitwell, and Phil calls for him to come in, wondering what he wants.

“A few. What do you need?”

Sitwell comes over and settles in the chair opposite Phil. “Well, I was there to see Barton report.”

“And?”

“What’s your secret? It’s a goddamn miracle. He managed to address Wyatt as ‘sir’ with a straight face, and to actually use his words to make his point.”

Phil can feel himself beaming like a proud parent, but he really can’t help it. “Wonderful.”

Sitwell smiles sadly. “Well. Maybe you being that proud of him is part of it.” He sighs. “I tried to do right by him, Coulson.”

Phil nods. “I know you did. You had the right idea, you just didn’t go far enough. And you didn’t have 24/7 access to him. There’s something to this whole fostering thing.”

“Looks like it.” 

Before Phil can say anything else, there’s another knock on the door. This time it actually is Clint, and he blushes to see that Phil isn’t alone. “Uh, I can come back. Sir.”

Phil laughs at how awkward Clint sometimes is when he’s trying to be good, and gestures him over so he’ll take it in the right spirit. “Pull up some floor and tell me how it went.”

Clint goes just the slightest bit pink, but kneels beside Phil, relaxing when Phil strokes his hair. “Well, it was me and Wyatt and the director and Sitwell for part of it. I just told Fury how it was.”

“I hear you minded your manners, too.” He rests his hand on the back of Clint’s neck for a moment.

“You heard right, boss,” Clint says, and it comes out sarcastic and cocky. “Am I a good boy?”

Sitwell is looking a bit askance at this and probably can’t hear the real need in Clint’s tone, but Phil can. “Yes,” he says, petting Clint again. “You’re a good boy.”


End file.
